Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain overnight. Low 46F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a half an inch..
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Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain overnight. Low 46F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a half an inch.
DUFUR — Last month, 14 Dufur School District students ranging from grades 9–12 and four chaperons flew to Washington, D.C., in anticipation of the inauguration of President Donald Trump.
The idea for the trip, which lasted from Jan. 17-21, came about following a trip where Dufur social studies and English language arts Teacher Sarah Anderson accompanied a couple of students to Washington, D.C., in 2023. Wanting the opportunity to take “as many students as possible,” Anderson contacted educational travel company World Strides to organize a tour.
“When speaking to the representative, she told me they do inauguration trips every four years and have been doing them since President Carter. It seemed like an incredible opportunity with the 2024 election coming up, so I began the process of getting it planned,” Anderson said.
She noted that the trip had been organized and all participating students were signed up by March of 2024, before the 2024 presidential nominees were officially declared. “It was emphasized to students that it wasn’t about the who, but about the what,” Anderson said.
Dufur students and chaperons standing outside the U.S. Capitol Building.
Contributed photo
Upon arrival in D.C., the group went sightseeing, visiting sites including the Iwo Jima, Martin Luther King Jr., Thomas Jefferson, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Lincoln, 9/11, Pentagon and U.S. Air Force memorials.
The students got to visit Capitol Hill, as well as the National Archives and the Holocaust Museum, the Smithsonian Natural History Museum and the Smithsonian Museum of American History, the Smithsonian Udvar-Hazy Center National Air and Space Museum, the National Museum of the United States Army, the People’s House and the Arlington National Cemetery, where they were able to witness the changing of the guard.
With the ceremony being moved indoors, the students were not able to attend inauguration in person. Despite being the primary reason for the trip, the change was not necessarily unwelcome, as the weather was projected to be extremely cold. According to Anderson, the group was originally scheduled to arrive at the National Mall viewing area at 7 a.m., approximately five hours before the inauguration’s noon start time.
“It was just not safe to stand in one place that long, and, due to security requirements, we would have had very little in the way of food, warm drinks and blankets, etc., to keep us warm,” Anderson said.
In an alternative activity, the group instead attended a tour of the George Washington Mt. Vernon Estate grounds and museum. Anderson noted they were able to view President Washington’s inauguration coat, which she said is typically kept out of public view and was only on display for a short amount of time.
“At the exact moment President Trump took the oath of office, we were walking along one of Washington’s fields. Some of us had the inauguration streaming on our phones, but most of the kids were so interested in the grounds tour that they didn’t spend much time watching it live,” Anderson said.
The group, which had been paired on their tour with another school tour visiting from Nevada, did have the opportunity to take a private night tour of the Capitol building with former Nevada Rep. Jon Porter the evening following the inauguration. According to Anderson, the group took the underground tunnels traditionally reserved for use by representatives and were allowed to walk on the stage where the inaugural ceremony had taken place.
“What was truly incredible is that we were able to go in the Rotunda where President Trump had taken the Oath of Office just hours earlier,” Anderson said. “The stage was in the process of being torn down, but we were able to walk on it, take pictures on it, and stand where not only the president had stood, but where every former living president had also sat just hours earlier,” Anderson said. “We were incredibly fortunate to have this tour, and it certainly is something the kids will never forget.”
Returning home, Anderson wanted to acknowledge how well the students behaved on the trip. “The students represented Dufur School incredibly well,” she said. When the students were asked what their favorite parts of the trip, two highlights included the Holocaust Museum and the Rotunda of the Capitol.
“Students were engaged, asked great questions and absorbed everything they were shown,” Anderson said.
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